


Control the storm

by SlytherinLady



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M, Yami Yuugi in his own body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 01:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1623515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinLady/pseuds/SlytherinLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yugi and Jonouchi spend a night at the Kaiba mansion, since Mokuba decided to invite his friends to stay the night at his place.<br/>Thanks to Mokuba... and a huge rainstorm, some Puppyshipping takes place..!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nobody really knew why it didn't work out. Nobody knew what lead Jounouchi into breaking up with Ryou.

Anzu was particularly upset- she thought these two were perfect for each other. In fact, she had given Jounouchi a lecture on how sorry he should be for hurting Ryou.

The cute albino was actually glad it turned out this way- firstly because Jounouchi was honest with him, secondly because they became really close friends after that and well... maybe because he had developed a crush on someone else.

But that's a story for another time...

 

There were some people that were shocked and some others that didn't really care. And some that knew exactly why Jounouchi chose to break up with "Fluffy", as Mariku loved calling him.

Yami and Bakura, who had seen that coming.

Yugi, who was there...

And Mokuba... who had initiated this.

 

It had been nearly two weeks since that rainy night he spent at the Kaiba mansion with Mokuba and Yugi. The boy was bored, so he invited them for a sleep-over. His brother was (surprise, surprise!) working late again and Mokuba didn't really have something to do. So now, he was playing duel monsters with Yugi. And losing.

It was 3 am. And that was when Seto Kaiba chose to walk in. He completely ignored Jounouchi and sat next to his brother.  
"You came to see me turn this duel around, didn't you?" Mokuba said to his brother.  
"No, I came to see Yugi kicking my little brother's ass." the CEO answered and messed his brother's hair.  
"No, he won't!" Mokuba really wanted to win.

About ten minutes later, though, Yugi won the duel with his Dark Magician Girl and Mokuba was cursing at him. Jounouchi was laughing and Kaiba smirked and hugged his brother by the shoulders.

Mokuba then remembered something and asked Yugi to follow him out of the room.  
"We won't be long, don't kill each other!" Yugi said, looking at the two other boys in the room.  
"...or do anything else equally interesting..." Mokuba said with a cunning look on his face.

Seto gave an angry look to his younger brother. Jounouchi simply looked confused. Do something equally interesting...what?  
After the boys left the room Seto got up. It was time to go back to his computer. He was tired- he had fallen asleep while working and the loud thunder had woken him up. But then again, he couldn't stay here...

As he turned to walk out of the room, though, the blonde protested.  
"Can't you stand being in the same room with me for like... ten minutes?!"  
"No, I can't." he answered coldly.

In the past, Seto would simply ignore him. But for some reason, he couldn't do that anymore. He didn't want to stay in the same room with the boy because he feared what would happen... what would he do. What would they do.  
Nonsense. He hated that dog. End of story.

The rain was getting stronger by the minute. A flash of lightning made Jounouchi jump- Seto didn't fail to notice the boy looked terrified. Which was normal, considering he had been struck by lightning in the past.  
Weird thing was... Seto didn't want to leave the room anymore. For a reason he couldn't fully comprehend, he didn't want to leave the boy alone. He sat on his brother's bed, without saying anything more.  
Jounouchi was standing right in front of the window, looking at the rain. He simply hated thunderstorms. Kaiba was around though, so he would simply pretend he didn't care.

He turned and walked away from the window, nearly falling on the small table on which Mokuba and Yugi were playing a while ago. When he looked at Kaiba, he noticed the smirk on the brunette's face. Another loud bolt of thunder rattled the windows-luckily, Jounouchi managed to stop himself from shrieking. Because he would look weak and probably sound girly.

"What are you trying to prove?" Seto smirked at the blonde.  
"What do you mean?" he growled, annoyed.  
"It's quite obvious that you are terrified.".

Stupid Kaiba, stupid smirk. Making him look even more handsome. And more of a jerk.  
"Don't be stupid, Kaiba! Why would I be afraid of a little rain?!" he said. The "little rain" though apparently got offended. This time Jounouchi didn't manage to maintain his cool attitude as he nearly fell down when another loud thunderbolt hit Domino City.

Kaiba lied on his brother's bed. "As amusing as you are, I really am tired of watching you trying not to shriek. The rain is making me drowsy." he said.  
"Making you... what?!" Jounouchi was surprised.  
"I usually like loud thunderstorms, but when I'm tired they simply help me sleep." he answered.

Jounouchi was shocked by how impassible the CEO was, but he also noticed that sleepy Kaiba didn't sound the same way the usual Kaiba did. His voice had gotten smoother within seconds.  
"Thunderstorm- from the collection of the new hit 'Kaiba Lullabies'. The world could be burning and Kaiba would enjoy the rain." Jounouchi said lightly.

 

Why couldn't the stupid storm stop? It was true, he was scared. Maybe if he could go a little closer to Seto without him noticing...  
That was silly... how could he feel safe around someone like Kaiba?

He looked at the boy. He really looked exhausted. He stretched himself, then turned his head and looked at Jounouchi. His blue eyes seemed less cold now.  
"Is this because you were struck by lightning?" he asked Jounouchi.  
"What? I don't know what you're-"

He knew, of course he knew. And he would probably be staring out the window right now praying for the storm to stop, if he wasn't busy checking out a pair of pretty longs legs.  
He sighed. "No. I always hated them, since I was a kid. I don't know why."

 

He expected a smirk, but he didn't get one.  
"No snarky comments? My, you must be really tired..." he said.

Mokuba had a big bed. Big enough for two people to fit. Sure Kaiba was feeling kind of lonely on that bed... maybe Jounouchi should sit next to him. Not because he was afraid of the storm or anything.. or because he wanted to sit closer to Seto. None of that.

He quietly walked up to the bed and sat on it, right beside the brunette.

A pair of blue eyes looked at him.  
"You know..." Jounouchi said, "we actually spent a few minutes without cursing at each other."  
"I noticed. We can always start now, mutt." he answered. He closed his eyes.

Jounouchi tried to stop himself from thinking how handsome he looked like this.  
Oh, wait. Too late.

"You really can't stand me that much?" he asked the brunette.  
"And more..." he whispered. At least he wasn't his typical cold Kaiba-self. That was good...  
"There must be something... Anything... that you like about me!" he said.

He didn't really know what he was trying to achieve... or if he was trying to achieve something specific.

Seto sighed. "Seriously, Katsuya?"  
"Seriously, Kaiba. And I do have a name. Most days." he said, looking at the exhausted boy that was lying next to him.  
"Will you leave me alone if I answer that?" he asked. His voice wasn't getting back to its usual cold tone yet.  
"I will."

"Okay... I guess... you are not a completely useless duelist." he said quietly.  
Jounouchi smiled. "You can do better than that." he whispered, putting his head on the headrest of the bed.

"No, I can't.". He had more to say but he wouldn't. Why wasn't he kicking him out of the bed yet?

Jounouchi's knee was touching his. Either the blonde didn't notice, or he didn't care. And for some reason even he didn't understood.. he didn't mind.

"My turn then!" Jounouchi said cheerfully.

A pair of blue, surprised eyes looked at him. "Can we stop acting childishly now?"  
"You never act childishly and it's one of the reasons you're always so tense. So shut up and be immature for once!" he said, smiling at him.  
Seto sighed.

"Okay...", Jounouchi went on, "I won't tell you that you are a great duelist, you already know that."  
Seto smirked again. Of course he knew that.  
"So.. I guess I really like the fact that you're such a big jerk but at the same time... you can be really caring towards the ones you love." he said, now staring at his fingers.

That coming from a man that was always there to take the bullet for his friends. Even for someone like Anzu. If Seto had a friend like her... wait, no, he wouldn't. He wouldn't do something that cruel to himself.

 

Brown eyes were giving him an anticipating look.  
"Oh, for fuck's sake..." Seto murmured.  
He turned his head and looked at the blonde boy. He took a deep breath.  
"I guess...", he sat up on the bed and was now looking at his knee-which was still touching Jounouchi's-, "some people could say... from certain angles... You are handsome."

Jounouchi was smiling. A smile that confirmed what Seto had just said about him.  
Was it possible for Seto to blush? If it was, he should have been red by now.  
"Either say the same or don't answer at all." he said awkwardly.

"Are you kidding, Kaiba? You're by far the most handsome guy I have ever met..."  
Did he just say that?  
Why did he just say that?

 

Awkward silence followed. Only this time, the previously offended by Jounouchi's words thunderstorm worked in his favor.

Other than the raindrops on the window's glass, they hadn't been hearing anything else for some time. Until a really loud bolt of thunder made Jounouchi scream. Kaiba jumped up and grabbed the boy by the shoulders.

He was shaking.

"Jounouchi, it's okay... It's just a rainstorm...". he said softly and put his hand on the boy's chest. His heart was thumping like crazy.  
"I..." he tried to say. He..what? What was he really going to say?

Those blue beautiful eyes didn't seem cold anymore. Quite on the contrary, they made Jounouchi feel safe...

"Calm down.. You're shaking..." he said, softly rubbing the boy's chest.  
He had a feeling he would regret this, but right now all he really cared about was calming the boy down. And he didn't know why.

 

Jounouchi got Seto's hand in his. He looked straight into the blue eyes. He was still slightly shaking. Seto wrapped his arm around the boy's waist.

One would think that at some point at least one of them-especially Seto- would stop to think what the hell they were doing. But not this time...

He was stroking his waist, still trying to calm the blonde down. Or maybe it was just because he liked touching Jounouchi.

Maybe that was why he didn't stop the boy when he simply leaned forward and kissed him.

 

There was nothing awkward about that kiss- for both of them, it felt like something that should have happened a long time ago. It was complicated, but at this very moment, they both knew how much they had been longing for that.  
Seto tightened his embrace as he was kissing the boy he liked calling a dog so much. Jounouchi stroked Seto's face and then put his fingers in brown hair.  
They had forgotten about the rainstorm and the fact that they were in Mokuba's bedroom, while Yugi and him were still in the house. They were too busy kissing passionately. 

That was when they heard Yugi's voice comming from the corridor- and then Mokuba urgently telling him to keep quiet. Seto pulled back, looked at the door and then at the boy he was kissing just a few seconds ago. They both seemed startled and confused now.

And then Seto became the cold man that couldn't stand Jounouchi again.

Before the blonde got a chance to say anything, Seto was already off the bed.  
"Forget this ever happened." he said abruptly and walked towards the window.

 

Jounouchi wasn't planning to let him get away. He got off the bed as well, but as he was ready to go and grab Seto in his arms, there was a knock on the door.  
"It's your room Mokuba, I don't understand why you're knocking." Seto said, trying to sound as normal as possible.

Mokuba, followed by Yugi, got in the room.

"What could possibly take you so long?" Seto asked, still refusing to look away from the window.  
"Well-"

Mokuba never really had the time to explain. Seto finally moved, walking past Jounouchi and the other two boys.  
"It's okay. Never mind. I'm going back to work. Have fun."

He opened the door, but Jounouchi called out his name before he left the room.  
"Seto!"  
"I think I made myself clear, mutt." And with that, he closed the door behind him and left.

Yugi and Mokuba looked at each other, as Jounouchi was staring at the door, looking like a puppy whose bone someone just stole.

"Jou...?" innocent purple eyes were looking at him.  
He slightly shοοk his head and looked at Yugi and then Mokuba. He forced himself to smile.

"Hey, Mokuba... Wanna go against me, now?" he asked.  
"I'm so gonna make you regret that decision..." the dark-haired boy met his challenge.  
"Bring it on, Mokie-chan."

He looked at the door one last time, before taking his deck out and shuffling it.  
Denial was good. But now it was too late for that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some Toonshipping hints in this chapter- I always liked imagining at some point, these two were lovers. Τhat's my girlfriend's fault- she really likes that couple.

It was the end of an extremely tiring day. Seto was sitting in his office, discussing with Pegasus. He always liked his company- Pegasus' unique sense of humour, that always came with a few glasses of good wine, relaxed Seto. The brunette was smiling at 

Pegasus, who was telling him all the reasons he should work less.

"My, Kaiba-boy... I haven't seen you smiling in quite some time..." the silver-haired man said, looking at Seto above his glass.  
"I suppose..." the tired CEO answered.  
"You look extremely concerned- in fact, more than usual."

There was a mischievous look on his face- that was never good. Every time he saw that charming, cunning look on Pegasus' face, Seto knew his secrets weren't secrets anymore.  
"I am going to take a wild guess... and say that you have been like this for a week- it was exactly a week ago Yugi-boy and his handsome blonde friend spent a night here." the red liquid in his glass met his lips, his eyes fixed on the younger brunette.

 

Was it really necessary to deny that Pegasus was right? To tell his ex-lover and himself that Jounouchi had absolutely nothing to do with his mood?  
Well, he was going to.

 

If a certain blonde hadn't invaded the room.

"Don't you ever knock?", Seto said, giving Jounouchi a cold look.  
"I wanna talk to you." He sounded determined.  
"I'm not alone, mutt, and even if I was-"

"Oh, yes Kaiba-boy, you are." Pegasus looked surprised and despicably delighted at the same time. "I will wait outside." he smiled and quickly left the room, before Seto had the time to protest.

When the door was closed behind Jounouchi, the boy moved closer to Seto. He stopped right in front of his desk- he knew it wasn't wise to go any closer- for now at least.

"Make it quick. I had a really long day." Seto said, leaning back on his chair.

Looks can't kill- but they can certainly freeze. And Seto's eyes were frozen when he met Jounouchi's. The boy felt his skin crawl.

"You know why I'm here." He folded his arms on his chest, but looked away- Seto's look was unnerving him  
"Who let you in, anyway?!" Seto said. He knew exactly why Jounouchi was here and he knew exactly what he was going to say to the boy to get rid of him for good.  
Because that was exactly what he wanted....  
...Right?

"Is that the point?! Mokuba!" he said, looking back at the man he had been dreaming about for a long time.  
"Let's cut things short, shall we? I know exactly why you are here. But I do believe I asked you to forget about it." he said.  
"No, Seto, I can't 'forget about it'! " he answered, finally sitting on the chair that was in front of Seto's desk.  
"And what do you want...?" he sounded annoyed. The fact that he didn't seem to be able to get it out of his mind either, was completely irrelevant at the moment.

Jounouchi blushed. He was never good with words... but there was really no other way. If he moved closer and tried to kiss Seto again, he would probably get kicked to places that would really hurt.  
"I want... you!" he answered quietly.

He knew he had just put himself in a vulnerable position, but at the moment, he didn't care.

He expected Seto to give him a cold look, maybe raise an eyebrow. But he hadn't expected him to laugh. He sat there, looking at the laughing brunette, unsure of how to react to that.  
"Um...Seto?" he said.  
"You... you really thought..." Seto couldn't stop laughing.

All of a sudden, there was a knot in Jounouchi's throat.  
The CEO finally stopped laughing and looked at the blonde.

"You really thought... that this actually meant something?" he said, looking at Jounouchi as if he was the most entertaining thing he had ever seen.  
"Well...I'm actually sure it did!" he felt uneasy now, but he wasn't going to let it show.  
"I am not sure if I should be insulted or entertained, mutt. You are hilarious...". Seto looked as if he had suddenly realised something. "So, if you thought that this meant something... you expected me to become your-" he stopped and looked away from Jounouchi, smirking. "No. I can't even say it."

He was quiet for a few seconds and then started laughing again. Apparently, Seto Kaiba had been replaced by the Joker.  
Jounouchi jumped up. "Stop laughing.", he said angrily. He wasn't sure if he felt embarassed or simply... desperate.

"Well, you are hilarious, I give you that. To think that I would ever want to be with someone like you..."  
"Why, what's wrong with me?!" he said abruptly.  
"You want everything listed in an alphabetical order?" he answered, still smirking at the boy.  
"Kaiba..." he growled and slammed his fist on the desk. "You might not want to admit it, but I know you feel something for me..."  
"Disgust." he answered coldly.

Jounouchi froze and looked straight in his eyes, hoping he would find the Seto he had seen that night, in them.  
He was there, hidden behind the glacier his eyes had turned to right now. It would be too late when he would come out again.  
"You are an incompetent fool that doesn't deserve anything. Especially my attention. So why don't you stick to people that like your kind?" Seto answered, trying to ignore the pain he saw in Jounouchi's eyes. For some reason... he hated that image.  
But he would go on...

"Such as?" Jounouchi was shaking- not out of fear, but of rage.  
He knew this answer would probably be the final blow.  
"There certainly must be people that have no dignity or self-respect. Unfortunately for you, I have both."

It was only a matter of seconds before Jounouchi jumped on the desk and started hitting him. So, he decided he would use those seconds.  
"So, why don't you go cry somewhere else? Maybe, if you are lucky, it will start raining again and you will have an excuse."

 

He expected the blonde to jump right away. He expected yelling and cursing and probably a few bruises to hide from Mokuba.  
Life was full of surprises and though he thought he knew the boy pretty well to be able to foresee his every reaction... this time he was wrong.  
Jounouchi stepped back, looking down. Then, he put his hands in his pockets and simply walked out of Kaiba's office. He closed the door behind him softly.

Somehow, Seto was hoping he would have slammed it, or that they would have gotten in a fight.  
A few minutes later, Pegasus came back in, to find a competely still Seto, staring blankly at the wall right across him.

Pegasus closed the door behind him, walked in and put the wine bottle and their glasses back on the desk- Seto hadn't noticed he had taken them.  
He filled Seto's glass.  
"Let's talk about something other than that..." Seto whispered, while taking his glass in his hand.  
"He will be back sooner than you think. And this time, no matter what you say, Seto dear, you won't be able to escape him. I really doubt you would want to, anyway." he smiled at Seto and filled his own glass.

Seto didn't answer. Pegasus' words were surprisingly soothing... and that wasn't right.  
"Let's get back to work..." he muttered.

There was a flash of lightning- it was going to rain, again.  
Would Jounouchi get home safely...?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There you go, chapter 3. Jounouchi has a terrible, abusive father- so he ends up in a hospital.

"...I am sorry sir, the visiting time is from six to eight pm. Well, I understand, but... No, you're going to have to ask the doctors."

She was tapping her fingers on the desk. She had been working in this hospital for more than three years and yet, dealing with patients' family and friends was not getting any easier. She was always polite and as helpful as possible but these people could not understand that there was a limit to what she could do for them.

Someone was standing in front of the information desk. "Just a moment..." she said, without glancing at the newcomer. "Yes, mister, but..."

Apparently, she wasn't the only one that could tap her fingers on the desk. She lifted her eyes, quite irritated, and had to hold back a gasp of surprise when she saw Seto Kaiba towering over her. He seemed impatient... and angry.

"Mister Kaiba... uhm..." She lowered the phone handset. "How...how can I help you?"  
"Katsuya Jounouchi. He was brought here about an hour ago." he folded his arms on his chest, now looking even more intimidating.

The information girl blinked fast a few times, placed the handset on her desk and typed something on her computer as fast as she could. "Yes... Katsuya. Second floor, room 212..." she smiled. The brunette walked away from the information desk and climbed the stairs quickly. She let out an exhale of relief.

Seto Kaiba. Handsome as hell... but scary. Also capable of getting you fired within minutes.

The angry relative she was talking to on the phone was now yelling. Perfect...

 

It had been a week since that night the boy had burged in his office. A week since Seto had driven him away with his words...  
It took him a while to realise the blonde wasn't coming back. It took him less than he wanted to accept the fact that... he wanted him back...  
He was going to call. And if Jounouchi wouldn't answer... He would go to him.  
This boy was ruining his reputation as a cold-hearted bastard.

He was going to call him that day.  
Perhaps he shouldn't have taken that long. After all... karma is a bitch.

"Tell me exactly what happened..."

Upon seeing Seto, Yami and Yugi got off their chairs. "You made it..." Yugi said.  
"Of course I did, Yugi..." Seto said, standing in front of the small duelists.  
"We were supposed to meet at the shop, but he never showed up. Anzu tried calling him, but he wouldn't answer. We went to his house... we knocked a few times and got no answer. Long story short, Honda broke the door down... and we found him passed out on the floor." Yami said, his sharp eyes staring at the void.  
"He was really hurt..." Yugi said, big purple eyes giving Seto a melancholic look.

"Who did this?" Seto asked quietly.  
"We don't know..." Yugi said, "but-"  
"His father."

Seto looked behind him to see Anzu and Honda approaching. Honda stopped in front of him, folding his arms on his chest.  
"What?" Yami raised his eyes, now looking at his friend.  
"You heard me..." Honda sighed. "This... is not new. Remember every time he was badly hurt... claiming he had been caught in a street fight...?"  
"That was his father's doing?" innocent eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes... everytime he comes home drunk... or simply picks a fight with Jou... he hits him." Honda croaked, lowering his head.  
"He...what? And Jounouchi never told us... anything?" Yugi said loudly.  
"Shh, Yugi, this is a hospital..." Anzu said quietly. Her eyes were red- she had been crying.

"...He didn't want to worry you, or get you in trouble. He had been saving money to move out, but-"  
"And you did nothing."

Four pairs of eyes fell on Seto.  
"All this time, you knew your supposed best friend was getting hurt like this... and yet you never said, or did something." Seto's normally cold, indifferent expression had turned to pure anger.  
"This is a hospital.. people are staring..." Anzu whispered, trying to smile to an old lady that was passing by, staring at the absurd group.

Honda looked in Seto's eyes. "I wanted to, but he-"  
"I don't care what he said or did..." Seto hissed. "You knew this man was hurting him and all you did was sit back and watch."

Honda was left with his mouth hanging open. "I..." he lowered his head, letting his guilt devour him. A few moments later, he raised his head again. "What do you care? Why are you here, anyway?! You hate him!" he yelled.  
"This is a hospital..." Anzu whispered, looking around.  
"I called him, I thought he should be here..." Yugi answered, still shocked by the news he had just heard.  
"Why? He's probably happy Jounouchi is-"

"NO! SETO! DON'T!" Anzu yelled, as Seto grabbed the shorter brunette by the colar.  
"Do finish your sentence..." he hissed again, flaming anger dancing in his eyes.  
"Stop!" Yugi said, pulling Seto by the coat.

"I doubt he can feel that..." Yami said, putting his hand on his light's shoulder. "He's right... This isn't the time to fight... or place any blame."

Seto stayed still for some time and then let go of Honda. The latter fixed his shirt, staring angrily at the tall young man. Normally, he would start a fight, regarless of the fact that they were in a hospital... Yugi's sad, innocent eyes stopped him, though.  
"Oh... and Anzu..." Seto said, looking at the girl. "Don't yell. This is a hospital."

She opened her mouth, trying to find the proper words to answer.  
Her thoughts were interrupted, as the door open and a middle-aged doctor appeared. He looked at them, over his glasses. "Is anyone a family member?" he said. His eyes stopped on Seto. He had raised an eyebrow. "No." he stated coldly.  
"His sister is on the way..." Yugi answered quietly. "How is he?"

The doctor stared at him and then Seto for some time. He cleared his throat. "He has a few cracked ribs and some severe bruises on his body. I must say though, he was lucky he got away with just those. Clearly, whoever did this to him, was meaning to harm him seriously."

Honda tightened his fist. Yami and Yugi silmutaneously closed their eyes and sighed. Anzu hid her face in her palm. 

"Is he an adult?" the doctor asked, his eyes on Seto, who seemed the most self-collected at the moment. Little did he know, the brunette was hardly holding himself from going to offer a piece of his mind to Katsuya senior. "Yes." Seto answered, as coldly as he could.  
"Very well..."

"When can we see him?" Anzu said quietly.  
"I would advice you to come back tomorrow. I am allowed to let only close family members see him today. Visiting time is from six to eight pm." the doctor answered.  
"He's... going to think we left him alone." Anzu said softly.  
"We will wait until Shizuka gets here... She will tell him we are all here." Honda said, reassuring the girl.

The doctor walked away from the group. Seto followed him to his office. The man didn't notice he was being followed, until he got in the small room. "Can I help you, mister Kaiba?" he asked, sitting behind his desk.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"  
"No, mister Kaiba, I already told you everything." the doctor said, removing his glasses.  
"Are you sure? I understand you have no reason to hide anything, you are doing your job, but I wanted to be certain."  
"Very well. How long will it take for him to recover?" Seto asked, folding his arms on his chest.  
"I estimate about four weeks. He is perfectly healthy..." he answered.  
"Can he be moved?"

The doctor tilted his head slightly. "I... I am sorry?"  
"Is staying in the hospital mandatory?" Seto asked.  
"Well... mister Kaiba-" he interrupted his phrase when he saw the impatient look on Seto's face. "Don't you trust us?" he said.  
"Not at all."

The doctor raised his eyebrows.  
"I can provide him with the care he needs. I understand there has to be certain paperwork done first, but considering he consents to it, can I take him out of here?" he said.

The older man sighed. "I am going to have to answer that in a few days, mister Kaiba. You see-"  
"Good." Seto nodded, interrupting the doctor once again. "I shall return soon." he said, leaving the doctor's office.

The man smiled. Seto Kaiba was said to be cold and uninterested, sometimes rude. he was rude alright- whatever his relationship with this boy was, though, he certainly cared a lot...  
When Seto returned in the waiting room, Yugi was by himself.

"What happened to the rest?" Seto asked the small boy.  
"Honda and Anzu went out for a bit, just until Shizuka arrives... and Yami expected you would come back and I would want to talk to you, so he left. He will probably get lost in here." Yugi answered, smiling softly.

Seto took a deep breath and sat next to Yugi. "Why did you call me, really?" he asked quietly.

"Because I knew you would want to come... and he will be happy to hear you came for him." Yugi answered.  
"Would he?"  
"Hey- you are a complete jerk and you did break his heart, but he's head over heels with you. And honestly, I know you are too." Yugi said, a cunning little smile appearing on his face.

They were silent for a few moments. "Does it show that much?" Seto muttered.  
Yugi smiled happily. "No, not really. If Yami hadn't told me, I would never have suspected Jounouchi's feelings were returned..."  
"Good."

Lucky for Seto, the conversation ended there, when a crying Shizuka appeared, followed by Honda, Anzu and Yami.  
He wanted to see Jounouchi, but he knew he wouldn't be able to, not today. Even if the doctors allowed him- or more likely, even if he ASKED-, he doubted Jounouchi would feel comfortable talking to him in front of Honda. That is.. if he wanted to talk to him.  
He left, giving Honda one last angry look.

It was raining once again but Seto decided to walk home. What was it with raining this March?!  
He honestly hoped the drizzle wouldn't turn into a storm. Jounouchi would never be able to sleep during a rainstorm...


	4. Chapter 4

"As much as I hate to admit it... you're right..."

Seto turned to look at the young man that was sitting next to him.

"I usually am... but what are you talking about?" he said, arching an eyebrow.  
Honda sighed. "About... me and... Jounouchi, and..."  
"Eloquent, as always." Seto said.

It had been a week since Jounouchi got in the hospital. Seto was there everyday, talking to the doctors, but he hadn't managed to see Jounouchi yet. As expected, his friends were constantly there in the visiting hours as well, and when the time would come for him to finally see Jounouchi and talk to him, he needed them to be alone.  
Jounouchi was still in pain and in need of care, but he was getting better. The doctors assured Kaiba he could take Jounouchi from the hospital whenever he wanted- provided the young blonde would sign the necessary papers.

Of course, there was one slight problem Seto hadn't mentioned- he had it in good authority that the young man currently... hated his guts.  
More than ever.

"The day Jou was brought here... I told you what was going on between him and his dad. And you... said I should have done something about it, instead of just sitting back and watching... and you were right..." the brunette lowered his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I should have done something. I just... I don't..." Honda sighed and hid his face in his palm. Seto was completely still, legs crossed and arms folded, staring at the back of Honda's head with cold, azure eyes.  
Honda leaned back on his chair. "I guess... I believed him when he said it was nothing... he wasn't in pain. It didn't matter. He didn't want me to get involved..." He smiled bitterly. "Instead of burging in and kicking the bastard's ass, I let him get hurt that badly..."

He closed his eyes and tightened his fists.

What was it with self-guilt in this company?

"We won't let that man hurt him again..." Seto said calmly.  
"We...?" Honda opened his eyes and stared at the tall man.  
"We." Seto said, intensely.

They were silent for a few moments. "You know... When I told him you were here, I expected him to be surprised, but-"  
"You... told him I am here...?" Seto asked, widening his eyes in surpise.  
"Of course we told him you are here!" Honda said, sounding offended.  
"And... how did he react?" Seto said, trying to maintain his coldness.

Honda arched an eyebrow. "As if I told him he won the lottery. If he was an actual dog, he would jump up and down insanely."  
Seto let out a sigh of relief- which, unfortunately didn't go unnoticed by Honda.  
"Okay, what's going on here?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

Seto straightened his back and fixed his eyes on the floor, unwilling... and unable to answer.  
Honda shook his head. "I'm glad his feelings are not... unrequited."  
Seto exhaled sharply. Was it that obvious?! Even Honda had noticed?!

"...for now. I just know this is not going to end well, though." Honda said, with the same bitter expression on his face.

Once again, Seto wanted to punch him. He wasn't even certain why...

Yami came out of Jounouchi's room, preventing the conversation to turn into a fight between the brunettes. The small duelist sat next to Seto.

"How is he...?" Seto asked quietly.  
"He's in pain. The food is horrible... and there is a little girl on the bed next to his who asked him to marry her three times so far." Yami said.

Seto smiled. "What did he say?"  
"He said yes..."

All three of them laughed. "So... he doesn't really like it here, does he?" Seto said.  
"Well, it IS a hospital. I am sure he would rather be recovering in some place with lots of burgers and ice-cream, but I'm not sure that's possible." Yami said, smiling.

Honda smiled and got up. "Does anyone want some coffee? I could use some."  
"Get some for Anzu- she called, she will be here in ten minutes..." Yami said.

Oh, perfect. Yet another day he didn't manage to see Jounouchi.  
Yami was staring at Honda until he was no longer in sight. "Now's your chance." Yami said.

"What?" azure eyes widened in surprise.  
"You obviously want to see him, but you never will as long as we are there... Go in. Yugi is in there, he will leave the room as soon as he sees you!"

Problem solved... Right?

He was so frightened to go talk to Jounouchi... he was almost certain the young man would reject him.

"Look, I..."  
"Anzu will be here in less than ten minutes and he is dying to see you..." Yami said, sounding persistent.

How did he manage to stand up? He thought his legs would not be able to lift his weight.  
He entered the room quietly. His eyes fell on Jounouchi immediately. He didn't seem as cheerful and loud as always, but he certainly looked better than Seto expected. Yugi was sitting on a chair next to his bed, trying not to laugh too loudly and annoy the other patients- hurt or not, Jounouchi could always find a way to make others laugh.

Seto walked slowly towards Jounouchi's bed, ignoring the other three patients that where in the room and their companions, who were sitting next to the beds, on chairs identical to Yugi's.  
Jounouchi stopped talking, as his eyes fell on the brunette. Two pairs of eyes, innocent purple and warm brown ones fell on him. Just like Yami had said, Yugi mumbled something about Yami being alone and left, promising Jounouchi to come back.

The small duelist walked past Seto and left the hospital room. Seto took a deep breath and sat on Yugi's chair, feeling Jounouchi's eyes on him.

Oh, he had practiced so many times what he would say... And yet, there he was, next to the blonde who always visited his dreams, unable to say a word.

"Hey, Seto..." Jounouchi broke the silence, tilting his head.  
Seto smiled in a reserved way. "Hey... puppy." he croaked.  
"What...?!" Jounouchi's eyes widened in surprise. "What did you..."  
"Well, every mutt needs to start somewhere..." Seto said, trying to smile. Instead, he managed a creepy grin the Chesire Cat would envy...  
"Puppy..." Jounouchi whispered. "I could get used to that..." he smiled, shrugging, chocolate eyes examining Seto's face.  
"Okay, what the hell... I-" Seto started, until his eyes fell on Jounouchi's pale face. What was he doing? He had been really harsh with him... and now he expected him to do what exactly? Forgive him and...

Why would he even want something like this? He was Seto Kaiba, he didn't really need that... kind of....

Oh, who was he kidding?

"Honda told me you come here every day and talk to the doctors." Jounouchi said quietly, smiling. "By the way, I am sorry I talk so slow, it still hurts when I talk and breathe."  
"Don't apologise, puppy..."

Well, if he liked it, perhaps overusing it would help!

"In fact, I should..."  
"Seto, stop." Jounouchi interrupted him. "The last conversation we had... was really... bad. No, painful. Did you really... mean everything you said?"  
Straight to the point. Way to make things even more awkward, puppy.  
"No." Seto took a deep breath, as his gaze met Jounouchi's. "None of the things I told you were true. I just.. freaked out. Just... coming to realise that I had feelings for you was-"  
"What do you have for me?!" Jounouchi said loudly and then cringed, grabbing his painful ribs.

Seto was left staring at him. The blonde thought his eyes were more beautiful than ever- finally, they weren't ice cold. Besides... that red hue on his face made an interesting contrast with his cerulean eyes.  
"We have a lot to talk about, don't we?" Jounouchi smiled.  
"Don't yell... you're in pain..." Seto said, turning his eyes away. "I was... very hard with you. And I would understand if you never wanted to see me again... I... I was going to call you. You disappeared and I was scared you were never coming back and I..." he raised his head and looked at the fairly amused blonde.

"You really don't have it with words today, do you, Kaiba?" he said, smiling.  
"Not at all. And Anzu will be here any minute. So... to cut thing short... do you like this place?"

Jounouchi gave him a confused look. "No, why-"  
"Will you sign the papers to get out of here and stay at my house until you recover?"  
"What?!" Jounouchi said, widening his eyes in surprise.  
"Just say yes or no for now and I will explain." he said, smirking.

Now, there was the Kaiba he knew, but...  
The door opened and Anzu entered, interrupting his thoughts. The girl rushed next to him and hugged him. She widened her eyes and let a small gasp escape her lips when she noticed they weren't alone. Seto gave her a cold look and got up. "So?" he said, looking at Jounouchi, his expression cold and his eyes... oh, his eyes said everything...

"Yes..." the young man said numbly.

Seto didn't answer. He simply nodded and left the room, without another glance at Anzu.

"What... what was he doing here...? And what did you say 'yes' to?" the girl said, arching an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.  
Jounouchi stared at her blankly. He was still surprised, irritated, excited and many more feelings he wasn't even certain they had a name by the weird, short conversation he had just had with Seto.  
"What...?" he said, blinking fast.

"Blondie..." Anzu and Jounouchi turned to see the small redhead girl who was lying next to Jounouchi. Her smiling mother was sitting next to her. "Will you marry me...?"  
"That. That's what I said yes to. Of course I will, Akarin!" he said, smiling.

The girl clapped happily. Anzu smiled. "You know I am surprised nobody noticed Seto Kaiba was in that very room..."

Akarin's mother widened her eyes. "That WAS indeed Kaiba?! I never thought he would come to this hospital..."

"HE WAS KAIBA?!" an old man right across from Jounouchi said.

Anzu smiled awkwardly. "Good job, Anzu!" Jounouchi smiled, relieved his very curious friend seemed to have forgotten that random "yes" of his...

Seto left the hospital ten minutes later, after informing the doctors young Katsuya was ready to sign the papers.

Yugi was looking out the window. "It's going to rain again!" the small boy said, staring at the sky.

The former Pharaoh stared at Seto's back as he walked away. "I don't think so, Aibou..." he whispered, smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

"Please, stop yelling, this is a hospital..."  
Jounouchi said quietly to the tall man that was standing in front of him. The older blonde took a quick glance around. "I don't care where we are... I just need to make sure you are coming back home."  
Jounouchi straightened his back and fixed his pillows, ignoring the sting of fear in his chest.  
"No, dad... I am not coming back home."

There was a minatory gleam in his father's eyes.  
Jounouchi swallowed hard.  
"I am signing my discharge note tomorrow... and I'm not coming back home. Well, not yet, at least."

Katsuya senior pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and threw it on his sons's bed. The young blonde took it in his hand- it was the final notice for the rent.  
"You need to come back and start looking for a job, kid..."  
Jounouchi shook his head. "I'm not in the condition to work for at least three more weeks, dad... or so said the doctors."  
"Well, tough. The rent won't pay itself." he said, shrugging.  
Jounouchi stared at the floor for a few moments. "Go to my room and lift the mattress... there's a small box there. The money in it is more than enough for the rent..."

The older blonde looked at him. "Why are you hiding money under your bed...?!"  
"Because I was planning to rent a small apartment..." he said, fixing his dark brown eyes on the floor.  
"What...? You were planning to leave, boy?" the man growled, taking a step forward.  
"No dad... I AM leaving. This is the last money you'll take from me."  
He finally met his father's eyes, even though he was still scared that the man would see the fear in his eyes. "In fact... I should have done that years ago."

"I'm going to-" the man took a few steps forward, approaching his son's bed in a threatening way... but then he remembered that there were many pairs of eyes looking at him.  
"Come back home and try to get your stuff so you will leave, boy. I'll fucking kill you."  
The soft sunset colors were touching the man's face... but that wasn't enough to cover the wrath in his eyes.

He turned around and left the room as fast as his intoxication allowed him. Jounouchi felt shivers running down his spine.  
He didn't think this man would have the nerve to come see him in the hospital... after all, he was the one that had sent the boy here in the first place.  
But then again... someone needed to pay the rent. And of course... he couldn't do that himself. His main occupation was wasting his son's money.

Fullfilling as it sounds... it never ends well.

Jounouchi lied back on the pillows and closed his eyes. Well... he was lucky his friends weren't here. They wouldn't allow Jounouchi's father to talk; they would get him before he had the chance to breathe a word.  
**********************************************************

As the tall forty-year-old leaved the hospital, he didn't notice there was a young man following him.  
The brunette followed Katsuya senior from a safe distance. His cerulean eyes were fixed on the man's back.

Seto followed the blonde in a narrow alley. Bingo.  
Jounouchi's father noticed the shadow of the one that was following him and turned around suddenly, putting his hand in his pocket, apparently planning to pull out a knife or something.  
Seto was faster. He pushed the man aside and shoved him on a wall on his right side. He took his gun out of his coat and put it on the man's forehead.

The older man widened his eyes. "If money's what you are looking for, I have none."  
Seto gave the man a depreciatory look. "I don't need your money... All I need from you is that you listen closely."  
"Yes..." said the man.  
"I am really upset about what you did to your son... and I have no qualms about pulling the trigger." he said quietly. "Instead, though... maybe I should offer you a little deal."  
He grabbed Katsuya's hand, as the man was trying to take something out of his pocket. After he pushed it away, Seto put his hand in the man's pocket and pulled out a pocket knife.  
"You are pathetic, you know..." he said, looking disgusted.

The man stared at him with his widened dark eyes. "Hold on a second... you are... that rich kid... Seto Kaiba..! A word about this in front of a camera and-"  
"...And then it's your word against mine. Let me see. We have a middle-aged drunkard who recently sent his quite famous son to the hospital... and, well, Seto Kaiba. If you really think you have a chance, you're also stupid, other than disgusting and pathetic." he tilted his head slightly, smirking. Anger was dancing in his cold glance.  
"What do you want from me...?" the older man asked quietly. His voice was cracking.  
"Simple. Touch another hair of your son's head... and I will be very... very mad." he said, pushing the gun on the man's forehead. "Even if he comes back home, for whatever reason, you will stay away from him."  
"What's it to you, rich boy?" the man smirked. A smirk that soon turned into a grimace of fear, as the cold mask fell and he saw the burning hatred in Seto's eyes.  
"Touch him once again... and they will never find your body." he growled.  
The man nodded fast, feeling the gun's barrel softly rubbing against his forehead as he shook his head.

Seto pulled back slowly. "Now... off you go. And be a good boy..." he said, still holding his gun tightly in his hand.  
The man slowly walked backwards, his eyes fixed on the gun... and then he turned around and started running.

Seto put the empty gun back in his pocket.  
Yes, it was empty.  
Of course, Katsuya senior didn't know that.

*******************************************

The hospital room would have been empty, if it weren't for the young men that were sitting side by side on a bed. A brunette, with a long, white sleeveless coat and a blonde with a green jacket.  
Jounouchi was holding his discharge note in his hands, staring at it. Seto's eyes were fixed on the floor.  
"So... what now?" Jounouchi asked, finally raising his eyes to look at the CEO.  
Seto looked at him and smiled softly. Hell, he was gorgeous when he smiled. "The plan is, I take you to my house and have my own doctors take care of you until you are completely healed. That is... of course... if you want." he said, turning his head away.  
"...I already said "yes", didn't I?" Jounouchi smiled. Putting his hand on Seto's chin, he made the brunette look at him.

"Yes, you did... But I would understand if-"  
"Seto. No. I don't want you to understand. I told you... your words were painful but... I think it's time to put this whole incident behind us and go on with our lives... Preferably together..." he said, whispering the last part.  
Seto stroked the blonde's hair. "I promise, I'm not always that much of a jerk."  
"Sometimes you're a bit less... sometimes you're a bit more... The whole deal." Jounouchi smild cheerfully.  
Seto gave him a mock-angry look and got off the bed. Jounouchi stood up fast- the piercing pain on his side caused him to make a small puppy-like noise.  
"Puppy..." Seto said in a worried tone.  
"I'm not completely healed yet, remember?" Jounouchi said, forcing a smile. The pain was slowly subsiding.  
"Don't worry, puppy... I will take care of you." he said, as he wrapped his arm carefully around Jounouchi's waist, putting the blonde's arm around his shoulders.

"You know, I am still a bit unsure of this... I mean, who wouldn't want to stay in the Kaiba mansion as part of their... healing process... but I would owe you so much and-"  
"You know, for a puppy, you talk too much." Seto said, his lips almost touching Jounouchi's.  
"I've been told."

**************************************  
The limousine stopped right outside the flat Jounouchi shared an apartment with his father.  
"I figured you would want to pack a few things." Seto said to Jounouchi, who gave him a wondering look.  
"Well... normally, yes... but..."  
"Don't worry about your father. He won't be an issue." Seto said plainly, stroking Jounouchi's hair.  
He opened the door and helped the boy out.  
Two small duelists were waiting right outside of the flat. The tri-colored haired boys ran towards them.  
"Normally, I would jump on you, but I don't think you can take it." Yugi said, smiling.  
"...And I would sit here and watch you try to handle my little hikari." Yami said.  
"Why are you two here?" Jounouchi said, putting his arm around Yugi's shoulders.  
"To help you pack, of course." Yami answered.

Jounouchi gave Yugi and Yami a worried look, that luckily went unnoticed by the former Pharaoh. "Well, you see, I-"  
"It's okay. I promise; your father won't be a problem." Seto whispered in Jounouchi's ear softly. Jounouchi looked at him for a few seconds and then, with a sigh, he lead the three of them in the flat.

Seto waited in the small, messy living room while Yami and Yugi were helping Jounouchi pack. His father was nowhere to be found.  
"Sorry for the mess..." Jounouchi said when they came out of his bedroom. "My father is not one of the most tidy people." he said, smiling bitterly.  
"Don't worry. Perhaps you want us to rest before returning to the car...?"  
"I'm guessing by "car" you mean the huge limo outside..! And no, I can handle myself. I just can't bend... and when I relax, I have this... stabbing pain for a while." he said, shrugging.  
Seto moved closer to the shorter male and put his arms gently around his waist. He kissed Jounouchi's forehead softly. He stroked his lips with his own, but Jounouchi pulled back.  
"Wait... Are we supposed to have a... thing now?" Jounouchi said, giving Seto an awkward smile.  
"Relationship." Yami explained.  
"You... don't want us to have one?" Seto asked in a reserved way.  
"Please, don't say no..." Yami translated.  
Jounouchi looked at his tri-colored haired friend and then Seto. "I... do. Insanely."  
"Good. You may kiss the bride." Yami again.

"Oh, shut up!" Seto said.  
"Actually... no. I don't want our first... official kiss to be in this dump." Jounouchi whispered on Seto's lips.  
The brunette gave him a half smile, that only Jounouchi saw. "Then we should get out of here. Did you get everything you need?"  
"In the backpack on Yami's back." Jounouchi said.  
Yugi was the first to leave the apartment, followed by Jounouchi.  
"You know..." Yami's voice stopped Seto from exiting as well. "I am glad that Jounouchi's father is... "no longer an issue", as you said... but I would still like to know what did you do. Because you did something."  
"You're just irritated that I got to him first." Seto said.  
"Well... yes. I would love to get my hands on the bastard." Yami growled.  
"Don't worry, Yami. He won't put his filthy hands on Jounouchi again." Seto said.  
"He'd better not..." Yami growled again and followed Seto out of the small apartment.  
***********************************************

"Your doctor is annoying." Jounouchi said, as he got under the blanket.  
"He is the best in Japan. He has every right to be." Seto said, smiling.  
"Will you come under my blanket...?" Jounouchi said, smiling at Seto.

It had been about half an hour after the happy idiot-squad had left. Anzu couldn't thank Seto enough for everything he had done, Honda was just shaking his head in approval. Yami and Yugi were responsible of getting Anzu away from Seto when she got too annoying. After they left, Seto had his doctor examine Jounouchi.

Mokuba had just gone to bed...

And the puppy was waiting for Seto to lie next to him.

Seto got under the warm blanket and leaned on his shoulder, stroking the blonde's chest softly.  
"How will I repay you for everything, Seto?" Jounouchi asked quietly.  
"I don't want you to repay me about anything, puppy..." Seto whispered.  
"You are giving me-"  
"Don't finish that sentence..." Seto said, rolling his eyes.  
"Well.. is there anything I can do around here...? Anything useful...?"  
"Can't you just sit down and let me cuddle you?" Seto asked quietly, still caressing the blonde's chest.  
Jounouchi smiled. "That will be my reward. There must be something-"

"Can you cook?" Seto asked.  
"Yes... Yugi and the others love my cooking...!" Jounouchi said.  
"Good... then, if you really have to do something, you can be my new cook... After you get better, of course."  
"Care to tell me what happened to the old one...?" Jounouchi said, arching an eyebrow.  
"I fired him." Seto said calmly.  
"Why?!"  
"Because I don't want incompetent fools in this place." he said, looking extremely amused by his puppy's expression.

"Sheesh, Seto... We need to work on your employee skills...!" Jounouchi said quietly.  
"Stay away from my employee skills." Seto arched an eyebrow.  
Jounouchi laughed. "Oh... Seto?"  
"What is it, little one?" he said softly. He was still waiting for that... official kiss.  
"Why were you so sure my... dad wasn't an "issue"..? I mean... did you know he wouldn't be there, or did you-"  
"He won't bother you again, Jou."

Jounouchi stared at the handsome brunette for a few moments. "What did you... do?"  
"Nothing, puppy." Seto's fingers trailed down Jounouchi's stomach. Oh, if he wasn't hurt, the things he would do to him in that bed...  
"Speak, you sly old fox." Jounouchi said, chocolate eyes meating cerulean ones.  
Seto laughed. "Don't worry, Jou. I just had a friendly chat with him."  
"Friendly... Oh, my... Is he alive?" Jounouchi asked, widening his eyes.  
"Barely..." Seto whispered in his ear, making him shiver.

He caressed his cheek with his lips... and found his way on Jounouchi's. Their kiss was deep- it held feelings they had been holding inside themselves for a long time.

"Thanks for everything..." Jounouchi whispered, when they broke the kiss.  
"Thanks for... well... you being... you." Seto said. "But don't let it go to your head..."  
"Head...? It's way over my head already..." Jounouchi said, caressing Seto's face.

After a few hours of endless talking and some painkillers, the blonde fell asleep in Seto's arms.  
Before falling asleep, Seto stared out the window.

Spring was coming.

The rainy season was over.

The storm had passed.


End file.
